EBK Home
  Kingdoms
  Royalty
  Saints  
  Pedigrees
  Archaeology
  King Arthur
  Adversaries
  Articles
  For Kids
  Mail David

St. Dunaut Bwr,
King of the
Northern Pennines

Dunaut appears to have given his own name to his kingdom, a Northern Dunoting: the word still survives at Dent in West Yorkshire. It is probably to be identified with the proposed Kingdom of Craven. This younger son of King Pabo Post Prydein had a more impressive reputation than most of his contemporary British monarchs for, as well as being known as Dunaut Bwr - the Stout, he was also occasionally Dunaut Fawr - the Great - probably great in battle. However, he appears to have agitated an underlying discord between the British Kings of the North that ultimately led to their downfall at the hands of the invading Angles. After the assassination of King Urien Rheged, Dunaut invaded his kingdom, fought with his son, Owein, and weakened the shaky British alliance. The King of the Northern Pennines was supposedly killed, at a right old age, fighting the Bernicians around 595. His family was forced to flee to Powys, and the kingdom was overrun by the Northern Angles. Some, however, claim Dunaut survived the invasion and is to be identified with the saintly Abbot of his son Deiniol's foundation at Bangor-Is-y-Coed (upon Dee). As such, he attended the unsuccessful meetings of the Welsh bishops and abbots with St. Augustine of Canterbury at Aust (Glos) in 602 & 4.